Mayawati in new trouble over elephant statues

Agencies New Delhi, Feb 22:

First, it was her memorial parks all over Lucknow that ran into trouble in the Supreme Court. Now, hundreds of statues of elephants in these parks are Mayawati’s gigantic new problem. The elephant is the symbol of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP. The Supreme Court has given the Election Commission three months to decide whether these statues violate its poll code.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan granted three months to the Election Commission to decide the issue even as Uttar Pradesh government contended that the statues of elephants are not the election symbol of BSP, but a welcome symbol.

“We have given reply to the Election Commission that the elephants installed in parks are not the election symbol of the party as alleged, but a welcome symbol. Even in the North Block and South Block, you have elephants statues,” senior advocate and Mayawati’s close aide S C Mishra told the Bench.

Mishra, who is the General Secretary of BSP and appearing along with senior advocate Harish Salve for Uttar Pradesh government, said statues of elephants are also found in temples and “the distinction is quite clear”.

Ravi Kant, a lawyer who has taken Mayawati to court over her statues says, “The petition is about the misuse of public money and installation of BSP symbols in memorials.”

Mayawati’s many memorials to Dalit icons, including herself, are also being studied by the Supreme Court. The parks, being constructed for close to 2000 crores, use taxpayers’ money. The court has so far slammed Mayawati repeatedly over approving the expenditure in a state assembly controlled by her. In September, the court asked Mayawati to stop all construction at these memorials till it delivers it verdict. Days later, however, media reports, including one by NDTV, found the court’s orders being violated. After the court expressed its anger, Mayawati’s government apologized, claiming that it was restricting its work to “repairs” rather than new construction.

Hours after her representative issued this clarification in court, Mayawati threatened at a public rally that any attempt to stop her memorials would lead to a law and order problem across the country.